Paddlin' for Paws Day 1

Lynda and Mo made it through their first day of Paddlin' for Paws. They paddled their first 10 miles starting in Nevada at Sand Harbor boat ramp and they went counterclockwise ending in California at Kings Beach.

If you have been following Lynda’s blog site, you will know both Mo and Lynda had started their trip a little tired and rushing around trying to get last minute things done. Well it did not get better as the night before was a restless sleep of about 5 hours for Mo and no sleep for Lynda as she was too hyped up to go to sleep. Their first day started an hour late in that their planned and scheduled departure was to be at 7:30 a.m. and they did not launch off until 8:30 a.m. (Promises have been made to stick to their posted schedule, weather permitting.)

Either due to the morning hour or their starting out tired, they both found themselves being quite cold and worried that they had not dressed properly for the day ahead…but 15 minutes into the trip with a little physical exertion, as well as paddling out of the shadows into the sunshine, they found themselves peeling off the layers of clothing they had on to their bright yellow PADDLIN' FOR PAWS T-shirts.

As the sun melted their morning chill away so did their initial feelings of tiredness as they embarked on this exciting adventure. The day was beautiful, the water calm and the wind never really picked up. They paddled their kayaks along the shore and Mo was taken by the utter beauty of the area. Homes on the waterfront were stunning, but even more stunning was seeing Lake Tahoe from a single person kayak on the lake. Being propelled by one's own power, they silently glided along through the pristine waters of one of the most beautiful settings in this country, if not the world.

Silently gliding, "silently" because that great iPod that Lynda talked about in her last blog, that great iPod that she had downloaded with all these great tunes was not charged properly, so she did not get to use it. I personally don’t know why she would want to be plugged into an iPod on this journey, but then again paddling along to some soft jazz or classical music sounds kinda cool as you circle this stunning mountain lake in your single person kayak. So why does Mary Martin running through an Alpine mountain meadow come to mind with the music “The hills are alive with the sound of music…” as I write this going through my head again and again? For those of you who are not as old as Lynda, Mo, or me, Mary Martin is an actress (original Peter Pan ...Mary Poppins) and Sound of Music is a classic movie musical …anyway …

As they were tying up their kayaks at the Hyatt property on the lake to stop and have “brunch,” a gentleman stopped and asked them about their Paddlin' for Paws bright yellow t-shirt. Lynda just happened to put some of the Paddlin' for Paws brochures in her kayak and explained to him what Mo and she were paddling for. The gentleman was very supportive and so impressed he reached in his pocket and gave Lynda a $20 bill for the cause. Lynda said that was one of the highlights of her first day. It is not the amount of money one gives but that there are so many people who love animals and are willing to reach into their pockets to support her and Mo for the benefit of those organizations that help animals.

Was it a good first day? Exhausting...yes...pushing the limits for two middle aged women who have never paddled 10 miles in a kayak before ...yes....FABULOUS first day...and profitable.

I will write for Lynda in her blog of Lynda and Mo’s adventure until she returns. So, stay tuned. There is more to come.

-Myra-